Lamar Jackson Remembers Funny Interaction with Bill Belichick
OWING MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson was prepared for a tense, serious meeting with coach Bill Belichick during his pre-draft visit with the Patriots.
However, Belichick was quite different from what Jackson had anticipated.
“I’ve seen Belichick smile," Jackson said. "Usually, when I see him, he’s puzzled face, a straight-faced guy. When I saw him smile, I was like, ‘Damn, you’ve got humor.’ I told him that, and he was like, ‘Yeah.’ I’m like, ‘I wasn’t expecting you to be smiling.’”
The Patriots still had Tom Brady in the fold so they were not looking for a quarterback in the first round of the draft.
Instead, they selected offensive tackle, Isaiah Wynn, with the 23rd overall pick. New England then took running back Sony Michel at 31, one pick before the Ravens took Jackson with the last selection of the first round.
Wynn has been hampered by injuries throughout his young career and has never played a full season.
After three mostly effective seasons in New England, Michel was traded to the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 25, 2021, in exchange for a fifth and sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, Jackson won NFL MVP in his second year and has already shattered numerous records.
With the 119 rushing yards against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, Jackson eclipsed the century mark for the 11th time in his career, surpassing Michael Vick for the most 100-yard regular season rushing games by a quarterback in NFL history.
Jackson also recorded a perfect passer rating (158.3) in the first half for the fourth time in his career, while achieving that feat for the sixth time in any half of a game (both franchise records).
Jackson is 1-1 against the Patriots, throwing for 412 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He has also run for 116 yards with another two scores.
They will meet again in Week 3.
